By David Wolman
With another playoff berth almost wrapped up for the Sachse baseball team, the Mustangs are also looking to maintain pace in the race for the District 9-6A championship.
Sachse, last year’s district champion, continued to keep pace, earning a 14-0 win over South Garland on Tuesday. The Mustangs improved to 9-2 in district play. They’re tied with 9-2 Wylie East and just one game behind 10-1 Rowlett and 10-3 Wylie.
Luke Visser hit a home run and drove in three runs in the Mustangs’ win over the Titans. Colt Upchurch and Jacob Ponce each collected two hits, with Ponce driving in a pair of runs. Julian Moreno also had two RBIs.
Alex Moreno, Matthew Hudgins and Tucker Zumwalt combined on a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts over five shutout innings.
Sachse and South Garland will conclude its two-game series at 7 tonight at Sachse. The Mustangs have a quick turnaround and will host JJ Pearce in a non-district game at 1 p.m. Saturday.
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By David Wolman
Win and in.
That was the formula for the Sachse boys basketball team Tuesday night to clinch a playoff berth. The Mustangs could have clinched a berth if Rowlett were to defeat Naaman Forest, which the Eagles did. However, Sachse was determined to take care of business on its own accord. And that the Mustangs did.
Behind 13 points from Teagan Duffie, Sachse outscored District 9-6A champion Wylie 31-21 in the second half to rally from a three-point halftime deficit and earn a playoff-clinching 50-43 win over the Pirates at the Montgomery Center.
Matthew Hudgins posted 10 points in the victory, followed by nine each from Brayden Banks and Jordan Anderson-Urune.
Sachse will play Rockwall in the bi-district round of the Class 6A Division I playoffs at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23 at Lovejoy High School.
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By David Wolman
Sachse alumnus first baseman/pitcher Zachary Evans raked in another postseason award last Saturday.
Evans was named to the Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association (TWSA) Class 6A all-state honorable mention team in baseball.
Earlier this year, Evans, a Ranger College signee, captured District 6-6A MVP after he helped to lead the Mustangs’ baseball team to their third consecutive district championship.
Evans didn’t allow a run during district play while striking out 24, and offensively, hit .412 with 16 RBIs and nine runs scored over that span of play.
]]>By Mark Saldana
The Sachse Lady Mustangs secured a hard-fought 41-36 victory over the Rockwall Lady Yellowjackets on Monday night at Lovejoy High School, clinching the Region II-6A, Division I bi-district championship.
Moving on to the next round of playoffs, the Lady Mustangs had an impressive defensive game down the stretch. Led by senior standouts Camille Logan who had 12 points, Arianna Gregory who had nine, and Charish Thompson and Ckalynn Anderson who added eight a piece.
Key plays in the game included a three-pointer from Thompson to start the game, a long range three by Logan shortly thereafter, and another three by Thompson. Logan had an impressive spin move layup in transition coming out of the half, as well as Anderson with a floater off an offensive rebound.
For more on this story see the February 13, 2025 print, or digital edition of The Sachse News. Subscribe today and support local journalism in your community.
By David Wolman
Sachse was able to overcome mistakes during their run to a second consecutive District 9-6A title. But against Rockwall, Sachse head coach Mark “Red” Behrens knew that his Mustangs had to play a flawless game.
Unfortunately for Sachse, it was nowhere close to flawless.
Rockwall forced six Sachse turnovers, punctuated by a 31-yard interception return for a touchdown by junior safety Will Ashworth early in the fourth quarter, and the Yellowjackets cruised to a 50-17 win over the Mustangs from Homer B. Johnson Stadium in a Class 6A-Division I bi-district playoff game last Friday.
Sachse senior wide receiver Santana Quinn had touchdown receptions of 15 and 16 yards.
Senior defensive back CJ Wells had two interceptions, the latter of which led to a 29-yard field goal by senior Josh Weston as time expired to end the first half.
Weston’s kick brought Sachse to within 22-10.
Rockwall, though, scored the first 28 points of the second half to dash Sachse’s chances of a comeback.
For more on this story see the November 21, 2024 print, or digital edition of The Sachse News. Subscribe today and support local journalism in your community.
A big reason for that sense of optimism is the linebackers, where two returning starters represent one of the best linebacker duos in the area. Head coach Mark Behrens is excited about the group and the work they put in last season.
“The good news is that every one of our guys got experience last year,” Behrens said. “Our two top linebackers played almost every snap after the second game and did a really good job. So we got some optimism there and feel great about what they can do. The best part is two of our starters are juniors, so we’ll get a couple of years with this core and we’re very excited. Our front seven will be as good as anybody in the district.”
Leading the way in the middle is junior Vashon Brunswick. As just a sophomore last season, Brunswick was one of the team’s leading tacklers and showed off the athleticism that has earned him a Division 1 offer from Colorado as he enters his second year as a starter.
One of the top athletes on the team, his ability to cover ground sideline-to-sideline is critical to Sachse’s defense.
“Brunswick is really football savvy,” Behrens said. “He’s old school and plays downhill and that’s what Colorado liked about him. I love the kid because he brings physical play and leadership to the table for us.”
Brunswick’s best ability is defending against the run, as he’s one of the best tacklers in the entire district and embraces physical play. That also allows him to play on offense when needed, as Sachse will use him in short-yardage situations next season.
“He sets the tone for us for sure,” Behrens said. “He’s not as fast as Davault but he thrives in the middle and he’ll come down and hit you. We have a lot of speed beside him and it should work well for us.”
Standing on the outside of Brunswick is fellow returning starter Sean Davault, who enters his third season on the varsity roster and second season as a starter. Davault was key to Sachse’s defensive turnaround in the second half of the season and is one of the most experienced players on the roster.
“The more disciplined he becomes, the better football player he’ll be,” Behrens said. “He’s athletic and can run on the perimeter, but he’s incredibly physical. He loves to blitz and come off the edge, and he’ll bring the heat.”
Davault’s blitzing ability aligns perfectly with what Sachse likes to do defensively. They bring a lot of pressure, and that’s where Davault will likely be used the most in passing situations to provide even more pressure on the opposing quarterback to throw quickly.
“He’s a wild man, that’s for sure,” Behrens said. “He’s going to get better and will be a force to be reckoned with.”
After spending the last two years as a running back, Sachse will also get to see Dane Norberg on the defensive side of the ball this season. While he’s played linebacker before, it’ll be a change of pace for the talented senior, who also comes with plenty of varsity experience.
“He’s not the biggest guy but he’s not afraid to play big and hit people,” Behrens said. “It’ll be a little different for him, but he’s athletic and gives us a lot of speed on the field, so we feel like he can do a good job for us.”
Rueben Gaytan, Chase Thomas and Ethan Williamson provide the depth at the position, with Gaytan and Thomas having varsity experience last season. That core six players all bring athleticism and length to the Sachse defense, something they hope will help the coverage unit this season.
“They all got reps at different stages,” Behrens said. “The better we’ll be is if a backup can step up and give us 15-20 plays a game, so they have to be ready to step up and make up for that time.”
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]]>The event, held Sunday, July 23 at North Pointe Church of Christ in Sachse, served approximately 300 students courtesy of sponsor support and volunteers.
By Jenice Johnson Williams
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]]>Over the years, Bluegrass on Ballard has evolved from a weeklong celebration known as the Wylie July Jubilee to a street dance and, ultimately, a daylong event with music, arts and a car show. This year’s event runs from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at Olde City Park and along Ballard Avenue in historic downtown Wylie.
Public Information Officer Craig Kelly said the roots of Bluegrass on Ballard can be traced to the Wylie July Jubilee that began in 1978 and ran for a week. That event included a rodeo, boat races on Lake Lavon, square dances, “fiddle music” and art shows.
“It’s our Wylie Fourth of July event and has been ever since it was an ice cream social and barbecue event for our volunteer fire department,” said Jeremy Meier, president of the Wylie Downtown Merchants Association. “We see a lot of families come out for the bluegrass music, the car show, ice cream competition or arts and crafts. The event is a way for our local community and people outside the community to see what Wylie is about.”
Declining attendances at the jubilee led to the creation of a street dance that was replaced in 2013 by Bluegrass on Ballard. Kelly said he has enjoyed learning about the evolution of summertime events in Wylie that help make Wylie the place it is today.
“We jumped from an event that went from being attended by 200-400 people to an event attended by 6,000 people,” Kelly said. “These events are always mentioned when we are mentioned as a best place to live and best place to raise a family.”
This year, planners expect around 10,000 attendees that come from across the city and nearby surrounding communities. In some cases, Bluegrass on Ballard may even be the first time an individual visits Wylie’s historic downtown area.
“Bluegrass on Ballard is a great event for introducing visitors,” Kelly said. “The event is usually a 50/50 with visitors and residents. The goal is to introduce the restaurants, shopping and great opportunities to come into downtown Wylie. The hope is that they’ll come back in the future and make it a morning or evening.”
Beginning at 10 a.m., over 130 vendors will set up booths in Olde City Park to sell their wares. At the same time, other crafts, fair food and children’s activities will be set up.
Kelly said all vendor fees from the booths erected in Olde City Park are managed by the Wylie Public Art Program, which has raised over $300,000 to date. Proceeds are used to help pay for public art projects, saving taxpayer dollars.
For the full story, see the June 15 issue of The Sachse News.
]]>The event is scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, and will be held on the north side of the hospital, which is located at 4750 President George Bush Turnpike in Sachse.
Among the activities offered are a free face painter, live music and yard games, said Emily Fletcher, vice president of business development at Trinity Regional Hospital. There will also be around 25 cars for children to trunk-or-treat to, she added.
“Many of our employees, volunteers and community partners will be opening their trunks to provide a safe place for both kids and adults to enjoy Halloween,” Fletcher said. “We also want the opportunity to get to know individuals and families in a low stress, comfortable environment,”
She added that the event is a way for staff of the hospital to interact with residents.
“Trinity Regional Hospital Sachse is excited to host its first event since opening the doors in November 2021,” Fletcher said. “A trunk-or-treat is a fun way to get the community engaged and familiar with where the hospital is located. In an urgent/emergent situation, we want everyone to know how easily accessible their local hospital is.”
On Halloween night, members of the Sachse Police Department and Sachse Fire-Rescue will hold a chandy chute from 6 to 8 p.m. The chute will be set up outside the Public Safety Building, located at 3815 Sachse Road, for trick-or-treaters to collect candy.
For the full story, see the Oct. 27 issue of The Sachse News.
]]>Audrey Wallace, director of 5 Loaves Food Pantry, asked the SEDC for a contribution to help fund the purchase of a new food truck during the Aug. 18 regular meeting.
The current truck is not refrigerated, said Wallace, which makes it difficult to pick up items, such as fresh produce from different grocery stores or food providers. The truck also has over 300,000 miles on it, she added.
“We run three to four days a week,” Wallace said. “We have certain stores that are assigned to us and pick up food.”
By purchasing a refrigerated truck, the pantry could potentially pick up more fresh food from stores farther away from its Sachse address, said Wallace. Specifically, Taylor Farms, a produce provider, will not allow the pantry to pick up produce unless it is transported in a refrigerated truck.
Currently, the pantry is fairly limited on the type of food it can pick up because the truck has no cooling capacity.
“We have a limited time to get food back because it is frozen or refrigerated food,” Wallace said. “We have an opportunity to get anywhere from 500 pounds to 2,500 pounds of fresh food from Taylor Farms.”
Wallace informed directors that any contributors who donate $5,000 or more would receive their logo on the side of the new truck. The current truck has the SEDC logo on the side.
Tim Shivers, president of the SEDC, said he supports the work 5 Loaves does, but that he is unsure if it is the best use of the corporation’s community contribution dollars.
“I am not sure that we would be good stewards of our money if we used EDC money meant to help businesses in our community for this project,” said President Tim Shivers.
Despite Shivers’ objections and “no” vote, directors approved two $2,500 matching donations to clear the $5,000 threshold.
For the full story, see the Sept. 8 issue of The Sachse News.
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